Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is re-evaluating the way he plays as he awaits his appeal hearing for his 20-game suspension.

The 24-year-old was handed the ban for his hit to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during the preseason and will have missed six games by the time of his appeal hearing on Thursday.

In the meantime, he's acknowledged that he needs to change the way he plays the game.

"Yeah, for sure," Wilson said, according to The Athletic's Chris Kuc. "The hitting aspect of the game is definitely changing a little bit and I have to be smart out there and I have to play within the rules."

Wilson's latest suspension is his fourth over his last 105 games, including preseason and playoff games, and will cost him $1.26 million in lost salary unless it is reduced on appeal.

Since joining the league during the 2013-14 season, Wilson has tallied 806 penalty minutes, including a career-high 187 last season.

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Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Monday for interference/ unsportsmanlike conduct on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, the department announced Sunday.

Pettersson was forced from Saturday's game after taking a big hit from Matheson behind the Panthers' goal in the third period. The 19-year-old subsequently missed the final 16 minutes of the game.

Related: Green calls Matheson's hit, throw down of Pettersson 'dirty play'

Luckily for the club, the rookie phenom was feeling "a little better" after a night of rest.

Pettersson has gotten off to a blistering start this season, recording five goals and eight points in five games, including the Canucks' opening tally on Saturday night.

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Travis Green wasn't pleased with what Mike Matheson did to Elias Pettersson on Saturday night.

"It's a dirty play," the Vancouver Canucks head coach told reporters postgame. "The league's trying to protect the good, young players, and that's just a dirty play."

The Florida Panthers defenseman hit Pettersson into the boards and slammed him to the ice early in the third period of a game the Canucks won 3-2.

Green didn't update Pettersson's condition, and he didn't want to address the possibility of payback.

"We won the game. I'm not going to comment on retribution or anything like that," he said.

Canucks forward Sven Baertschi weighed in on the hit too, saying it "looked like WWE to me," according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre.

Pettersson played only two shifts in the third frame, and he didn't appear on the ice for the final 16 minutes.

Earlier in the game, he scored his fifth goal in five NHL games.

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Vancouver Canucks phenom Elias Pettersson left Saturday's game after Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hit him against the boards and slammed him to the ice.

Pettersson, who scored his fifth goal in as many games earlier in the contest, played only two shifts in the third period and didn't return for the remaining 16 minutes of the final frame.

Canucks head coach Travis Green did not have an update on his star rookie when asked about him postgame.

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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz left Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens following an awkward collision with forward Tomas Plekanec.

Early in the first period, Plekanec bumped Schultz in the corner. The blue-liner then tumbled backward, falling on his ankle. Schultz left the ice with assistance from Pittsburgh's training staff.

Saturday marks just the fourth game of the season for Schultz. In 2017-18, the veteran defenseman appeared in 63 games.

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Jenn Guardino, the girlfriend of Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson and mother of their daughter, took responsibility on Saturday for a summer incident that led to a suspension for Watson.

Guardino prefaced her statement by extending compassion to victims of domestic violence and thanking her friends and family for their support, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"The incident that took place on June 16th, however, was not an act of domestic violence," Guardino added. "Austin Watson has never, and would never hit or abuse me. My behavior and state of intoxication led to the police being involved that day. I have struggled with alcoholism for many years and I am actively involved in (Alcoholics Anonymous).

"I am fortunate to have Austin's continued support with my treatment. We handled matters poorly on June 16th and know that we need to make better decisions going forward. I take full responsibility for my actions on that day. I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone involved for the negative attention that followed this incident, including the Nashville Predators community and the city of Nashville."

Watson was initially suspended 27 games in September, and an independent arbitrator later reduced the ban to 18 contests. He was arrested on a domestic violence charge in June, later pleading no contest.

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Antoine Roussel has been activated off injured reserve and cleared to make his Vancouver Canucks debut Saturday night, the club announced.

Roussel missed the Canucks' first four games of the regular season due to a concussion, but is expected to be in the lineup Saturday when the team takes on the Florida Panthers.

He was signed as a free agent this offseason to a four-year, $12-million contract.

The 28-year-old is entering his seventh season in the NHL after spending his previous six with the Dallas Stars. Last season he put up five goals, 17 points, and 126 penalty minutes in 73 games.

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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is out with the flu and won't play against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, the team announced. Charlie Lindgren has been recalled from the AHL on an emergency basis.

Price had been showing glimpses of his former self thus far this season, posting a 1-1-1 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average in three tough matchups.

The Canadiens will face the Detroit Red Wings Monday, but it's unclear if Price will be back in time. However, head coach Claude Julien did say there is "no reason for concern whatsoever," according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

Veteran backup Antti Niemi will likely handle the workload until Price regains full health.

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